


Entropy

by daydreams_and_nightmares



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Shadow Weaver’s A+ Parenting, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18250130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daydreams_and_nightmares/pseuds/daydreams_and_nightmares
Summary: Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.For as long Catra could remember, those words had been etched into her skin in neat, precise lettering. Her soul mark, there even before she knew what they meant. The thing about soulmates though, is that they’re not always mutual. Catra should know.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably going to be a two chapter fic if all goes to plan so *fingers crossed* 
> 
> Unedited and will probably undergo some changes at a very distant time in the future when I can be bothered.

Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.

For as long Catra could remember, those words had been etched into her skin in neat, precise lettering. Her soul mark, there even before she knew what they meant. The thing about soulmates though, is that they’re not always mutual. Catra should know.

....

Her body still shook from the remnants of Shadow Weaver’s magic. And it hurt. It hurt so much. Catra pulled the blanket tighter around herself and huddled down, making herself as small as she could. Maybe, if she pretended she wasn’t there, that she didn’t exist, they’d forget about her too.

She heard footsteps come into the room so she lowered her head and hoped that whoever it was would just, for once, leave her be. Even the thought of moving to fight made her bruised and aching body cry out. She couldn’t fight back like this.

That didn’t stop her from snarling at the intruder when they pushed the blanket to her shoulders with small, gentle hands.

“Catra, it’s okay. It’s just me.” The coiled up tension in her body left with the sound of that voice. She looked up at Adora’s face, into that not quite right smile she wore when she didn’t feel like smiling but felt like she had to anyway.

Catra had thought that all her tears had been cried away but the sight of Adora’s face with her barely there smile made her want to burst out into tears again. Only because she wanted to cry in someone’s arms this time, have someone there to tell her it was going to be okay even if it was a lie. She was pathetic.

Adora sat beside her and they leaned into each other. Catra wiped away an errant tear and did none of the things she so desperately wanted to do. Because she was okay now. Adora was here. And everything was okay when Adora was here.

“It doesn’t matter what they do,” she said, her expression so bright and hopeful, that for a moment, Catra believed her. “Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.”

For a moment, all the aches and pains in Catra’s body were forgotten in favour of a burning feeling in her chest. It’s you, she wanted to scream. You’re my soulmate. Instead, she whispered “You promise?”

Because she didn’t need to. Because they were best friends. Because they already belonged to each other.

 

………

 

Catra lowered herself gently onto the bed with a groan. This, she thinks, is exactly why she doesn’t show up for training. She pulled a pillow over her face and briefly considered smothering herself in its musty depths. That’d be a way to go. She would even count it a win considering it wouldn’t be by Shadow Weaver’s hands or getting impaled by a fucking robot.

Soft footfalls bring her attention back to the depressingly empty medical ward. She’s probably the first cadet to get hurt badly enough to use this place in years. Great, that’d be another thing for Shadow Weaver to harp on about. The only person who would be coming to se her at this time of night, or any time at all really, is Adora. And sure enough, Adora pokes her head through the door, looking around before smiling sheepishly when she sees Catra’s smirking face.

“Hey, Adora.”

Adora pads over in what Catra can only assume is her version of being stealthy. “Hey,” whispered, smiling softly down at her when she reaches the bed. She pushed a lock of hair out of Catra’s face. “I couldn’t sleep without you. How’re you doing?”

Catra pushed her ears into Adora’s obliging hands and blinked lazily as she scratched around them. “Mm, m’fine, got stabbed by a bot, Shadow Weaver yelled at me about it, got a few bruises. The usual, you?”

Adora’s hands faltered for moment and when Catra lolled her head to the side, she had on Catra’s least favourite expression. Her nose was scrunched up in a way Catra would normally describe as adorable but the look in her eyes said that a lecture was on the way.

“Adora,” she sighed. “Don’t.”

“Catra you’re in the infirmary with half your body covered in bandages, so don’t you dare “Don’t Adora” me.”

“I’m fine,” she said and attempted to emphasize her point by sitting up but moved too fast and ended up curled around herself, groaning. Finally, she gave up and collapsed back on the cot. Catra knew without looking that Adora had an “I told you so” look on her face. Another one of her least favourite Adora-faces. Still cute though. Really really fucking cute.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re thinking it though!”

Adora rolled her eyes. She sat down by the edge of the cot with a sigh. “You know I’m just worried about you,” she said quietly. Catra held back a sigh of her own and tilted her head up to the ceiling. “Why do you always have to this?”

“Do what?” Catra said mulishly.

“This,” Adora said, gesturing to all of her. “Be so reckless, pick fights with everyone, with Shadow Weaver.”

“Which one of those do you want an answer for?”

“Catra.”

Catra rolled around and turned her back on Adora. “Leave me alone Adora.” The weights on the bed shifted and for a moment, Catra thought Adora had left. Then an arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her back into a warm body.

Adora tucked her head into the crook of Catra’s neck and whispered, “I’m sorry.” She turned her head into Catra’s neck. “I just-you really scared me today.”

Catra leaned back into the comfort, the warmth, that Adora offered, her throat constricting at the sheer proximity. “I’m sorry too,” she said, her words almost inaudible. Adora’s arms tightened around her. They lay like that for longer then Catra could count, Adora’s fingers rubbing soothing circles around the exposed skin of Catra’s hip, her arms wrapped around her and her warmth a comforting presence behind her.

Catra sighed and closed her eyes, the long day catching up to her. Tomorrow, Shadow Weaver would want to see her again. Tomorrow, she’d have to go in with rest of the cadets, all of whom had witnessed her absolutely pathetic fight. But right now, she could have this.

Catra had almost drifted off to sleep when Adora’s arms stiffened around her and fingers stopped moving.

“Catra.”

“Mhm,” she replied nonsensically, half asleep.

“Catra,” Adora said again, her urgent tone bring Catra back to wakefulness. “What is that?”

“What’s what?” She asked although she already knew. Her bandages covered most of it but she knew the edge of was visible, the last word ending in a golden scrawl just above her hip. Where Adora’s fingers had been. Catra swallowed. For some reason the words refused to leave her mouth. She felt Adora’s fingers trace over the edge of it, her touch feather light and hesitant in a way it had never been around her before.

“Is that-is that a–?”

“Yeah.” Catra said, forcing the word out of her mouth.They’d never talked about it before. Catra hadn’t thought that they needed to. Adora was her soulmate just like Catra was hers. They belonged to each other. But something about Adora’s voice, they way she asked about it, was making her blood run cold and pushing worse and worse scenarios through her head.

“What about you?” She asked, heart in her mouth.

Adora’s voice was quiet when she brought Catra’s world crashing down.

“I don’t have one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on [tumblr](https://princess-of-sword-lesbians.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *UNBETAED*
> 
> I had a bit of trouble with this chapter as I was trying to follow the way things happened in canon was much as I could before I remembered; my fic, my rules lol
> 
> I’ve decided to have this written in sort of snapshots, just the bits that deviate from canon as everything else is pretty canon compliant. Tell me what you guys think?
> 
> I’m so sorry about how long this took, school and life got in the way and when the holidays came I had to take a trip across the country. The trip was great but didn’t leave much time for writing lol

Catra tightened her grip around Scorpia’s extended hand and inhaled deeply. She was on a mission. They’d gone over the plan a hundred times and it was fool proof. It’s going to work.

Is it? You really think Adora gives a shit about you now? She doesn’t need you anymore. Did she ever? Didn’t you always just hold her back like the pathetic piece of shit you are. It didn’t take Adora long to drop you. She had only needed to be with her new friends for a few hours before she decided she was better off with them than with you. And was she wrong? Look at you, can’t even do a single thing right, they were right to make Adora force captain and not you.

“Oh man, I am so excited! Are you excited? I am. It’s been so long since I’ve been to one of these, are you excited?” Scorpio gushed at her side. Catra blinked. Right. Mission, Adora.

Right.

Adora doesn’t care about her. Catra knows that. That voice can go to hell because she fucking knows that, alright? It doesn’t matter though, because there’s just too much righteous indignation in Adora to ever ignore filthy Horde scum like them. Catra doesn’t need her anymore.

Nothing bad can happen, right? What a load of bull.

Catra straightened her shoulders and smirked. “Oh I’m excited alright.”

They stepped into the ballroom hand in hand. For a moment, she didn’t notice it under the brightness and chatter that was so different then anything she’d seen at the Horde but there it was, that tug in her gut, that bit of fire, of lightning. Her soulmate.

Yeah, right.

She moved closer to Scorpia and scanned the room under the pretense of leaning in to whisper nothings to her. Scorpia, for her part diligently nodded along even though Catra was sure she was just reciting a list of types of knives in her collection. It was hard to concentrate with her mark, which had been dull and unnoticeable for weeks now, deciding to make its presence known. Yeah, yeah, Adora is here and you miss Adora. Welcome to the club buddy, but do you really have to do this now? It tugs viciously at her to do something, anything. Or more specifically, launch herself at Adora and climb her like a tree. Tough shit, Catra had better things to do that wouldn’t end up with She Ra throwing her at a wall.

Although, that thought did have its own specific appeal as well.

Not the time, goddamnit.

The source of this particular trouble stood atop the balcony with, surprise surprise, her new best friend. Catra hated that even in this crowded room Adora was the one she noticed first. She hated that she noticed how close Adora and the glittery one were standing and she hated the churning feeling in her stomach at the sight of the two of them. Didn’t seem like Adora had much trouble replacing her, Catra thought bitterly. It was easy to see when Adora noticed them. That soft smile that had only ever been directed at Catra, before, fell of her face and she tensed her stance. Her eyes followed them as they made their way further into the ballroom, the anger and suspicion easy to see even from from where they were.

She had been wrong before when she had thought she didn’t like the righteous indignation in Adora’s eyes. This was worse. At least back then, Adora’s anger and worry and nagging was because she cared. Because Catra’s miserable, pathetic existence had meant something to her. Now, she was the enemy.  
  
And that was fine.

Catra let Scorpia lead her towards the throne and bowed deeply in front of the tiny princess. Her soulmark alerted her of Adora’s presence before the sound of her footsteps did. Sparkles was hot on her heels, of course.

They were waiting for them at the end of the dais when Catra and Scorpia had finished greeting the hostess. She caught Adora’s eye and held her gaze. Her stomach swooped traitorously. For a moment, Catra had the urge to grin widely and wrap her arms around Adora. Then, Adora tilted her chin up in an unmistakable challenge and the fluttery feeling in Catra’s chest shriveled up and died, replaced by a dull, bitter anger. Her soulmark twinged but she ignored it. Catra had been played a fool by that thing one too many times, thanks ever so.

“Hey, Adora.” She smirked.

“Catra.”

“I see it didn’t take you long to embrace the full princess life.” She moved around Adora, drawing a finger across her shoulder. Catra stopped when she was standing behind Adora and hooked her chin over Adora’s shoulder. Adora had gone stock still. “Tell me,” she whispered quietly into her ear, to all the world looking like two lovers talking intimately. “When you were sleeping in your cushy bed in a fancy palace, did you ever stop to think about what you’d left behind? About me? About what you’d left me with?”

What the fuck was she doing, shit, this wasn’t a part of the plan.

Adora’s jaw clenched. “Catra–” her voice sounded shattered, filled with something Catra wouldn’t, couldn’t, think about. Catra turned away.

She laughed and stepped back, hoping it didn’t sound as unsteady as she thought it did. “Just kidding. Scorpia and I are here to have some fun, isn’t that right, Scorpia?” Filling her voice with forced levity.

Three heads swirled around to look at Scorpia who had the expression of a startled doe on her face. “Uh, yes?” She said, looking unsure of what just happened. Catra could relate. Adora had a particularly mulish expression on her face that Catra recognized from their squabbling when she took in Scorpia, as if seeing her for the first time.

Catra moved back and wrapped her hand around Scorpia’s claw. She smiled innocently, in a way that would have red flags flying for Adora. “This has been great, let’s not do it again, bye.”

They had only taken a few steps away when a hand grabbed onto Catra’s free hand. Her mark reared it’s head up like a hopeful dog. Catra cursed and tried to pull her hand away but Adora’s grip was strong.

“What the hell, Adora?”

Adora’s eyes were bright and clear, determined. “Tell me what you’re doing here.”

Catra met her stare head on. “I told you already.”

“The truth.”

Silence.

“Catra.” Her voice had a pleading note in it. “I don’t want to fight you.” The _I_ _will_ _if_ _I_ _have_ _to_ went unsaid but Catra heard it loud and clear.

“Let go of my hand,” coldly.

“Catra–”

“I said let go of my hand,” she snarled, bearing her teeth. Adora startled and took a step back, let go of Catra’s hand. She snatched it back and held it close to her chest. Catra grabbed Scorpia and pulled her with her into the crowd of partygoers. “Let’s go.”

She felt Adora’s gaze settle on her, hot and prickling.

At least, if nothing else, the plan was working.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think? Comments are very much appreciated
> 
> Follow me on [tumblr](https://princess-of-sword-lesbians.tumblr.com)


End file.
